Fada – Catec and CiTD create Cheops components with 3d printed

Sevilla.– The advanced centre of aerospace Technologies (faf – catec) has collaborated with the company CiTD in the manufacture of new aerospace components for the new satellite Cheops of Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) that will be launched into space at the beginning of 2019.

In particular, has developed key pieces of the mechanism that allows the use of the solar panels’use of solar panels to be connected to the solar panels that has the satellite. Due to assembly and integration processes, the useful ones of this mechanism are blocked after the assembly, which is an important penalty for satellite weight.

Therefore, a set of eight bionic flight pieces has been created via the additive manufacturing technology , known as the 3d (3d) populariously, which has resulted in a 50% reduction in weight and an optimization in the design of the component

The pieces have been manufactured at the Catec facilities, which has also been charged with inspection and verification, while CiTD has been responsible for the definition and justification under the standard 149 standards. The whole set of pieces was handed over to the Spanish delegation of Airbus Defence & Space, which is the main contractor of the CHEOPS satellite and completed its integration in recent weeks.

The importance of these new components is not only that they have been developed and manufactured through new technology for the spatial sector as is the manufacture of the manufacture or the 3d, but what it means in terms of reduction of its weight . In space, weight is a vital issue, and reducing the weight of components of a satellite or a rocket means a significant cost reduction and the possibility of using the same weight for another component or application “, explains Fernando Lasagni, head of the Fada – catec materials and Processes division.

“It also indicated that the manufacture of this piece means “ a more jump in the actual application of the 3d to the aerospace sector, where our centre has become an international reference because of the production of such parts for the space industry, in shuttle and rocket, as well as for the aeronautical industry, already integrated into civil and military aircraft.

“As engineers, the 3d printing allows us to freer and optimized designs , capable of giving optimal solution in terms of mass and delivery time. Today we are able to reach the best technical solutions that were not yet possible to manufacture, “explains Marta García – Cosío, director of the Citd.